Download Circulatory System

#5 - CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
Define the following terms:
CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS – fitness for the heart, lungs, blood and blood vessels.
“CARDIO” – is form the Greek word for heart.
“VASCULAR” – refers to blood vessels.
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM – the body system that moves oxygen and nutrients to the body cells and
removes cell waste (such as carbon dioxide).
THE HEART – 1) the heart is a muscle.
2) the heart pumps blood throughout the body.
THE LUNGS – where the blood picks up oxygen.
ARTERIES – “pipelines” that carries the blood from your heart to other parts of your body.
VEINS –
1) carry blood filled with waste products from your body back towards your heart.
2) muscles squeeze the veins to pump the blood back to the heart.
ATHEROSCLEROSIS – a disease in which arteries become clogged with fatty deposits that harden.
SATURATED FATS – a fatty substance in dairy products and visible fat in red meat.
CHOLESTEROL – a fatty substance found in meat, dairy products and visible fat in red meat.
UNSATURATED FATS – found in many oils such as olive oil, peanut oil, corn oil, and sunflower oil.
AEROBIC EXERCISE – exercise that is steady – the heart can provide all the oxygen you muscles
need. Examples:
1) Jogging
2) Swimming
3) Bicycling
ANAEROBIC EXERCISE – exercise done in bursts; the heart cannot provide enough oxygen for your
muscles to function
Examples: 1) sprinting
2) basketball
3) racquetball
ATHEROSCLEROSIS
It is estimated that nearly half of all deaths I the United States are due to the arterial disease
call atherosclerosis. In this condition, fatty materials, particularly cholesterol, accumulate on the inner
walls of certain arteries. Such deposits are called plaque, and as they develop, they protrude into the
blood vessels and interfere with blood flow. Furthermore, plaque creates a surface that initiates
blood clot formation. As a result, persons with atherosclerosis may develop blood deficiencies or
tissue death downstream from the obstructions.
The walls of affected arteries tend to undergo degenerative changes in which they lose their
elasticity and become hardened. This stage of the disease is called atherosclerosis, and when it
occurs, there is a danger that a blood vessel will rupture under the force of blood pressure.
Atherosclerosis is often associated with diets containing excessive amounts of saturated fats,
elevated blood pressure, tobacco smoking, obesity, and lack of physical exercise. Genetic factors
may also increase susceptibility to the development of atherosclerosis.
Critical Thinking Questions
Please be thorough and use the information presented in the hand-out
1. Explain how your cardiovascular system functions?
2. What changes occur in the heart and in other muscles during vigorous exercise?
3. How is the health of your lungs related to cardiovascular fitness?
4. How do you know if you have good cardiovascular fitness? Explain why it is important.
5. Explain the dangers of Atherosclerosis and why more and more people are suffering from it?
Bonus – Explain the concept “specificity” and how it applies to our current unit.